To use an external scheduling package

LN Project allows to use external scheduling packages (for example, Microsoft Project) to determine the scheduling information of the activity structure. The main function of an external scheduling package (ESP) is to determine the scheduling information for both activities and budget lines. You can use this scheduling information for an activity budget and a time-phased budget. To enable this functionality, an ESP must share information with the Requirements Planning in LN. This document describes the:

Advantages of the interface.
Set up the application using the parameters.
Cost object settings.
Use the interface session for the actual ‘export to’ and ‘import from’ process of an external scheduling package.

The primary advantage of using the Microsoft Project XML format to exchange data with an external scheduling package is that multiple packages are compatible with this XML format. For example, Microsoft Project, however other products can also be considered.

The advantages:

No additional software is required. The available XML file can be used in the format defined by Microsoft.
Technology is simple and can be easily extended. Also, there are no dependencies on an operating system or on any additional software that is installed.
Integration functionality can be used to connect to other packages that use the XML format that is utilized by Microsoft. This enables the use of a scheduling package that is already available with the customer or that is specified by the client of an LN customer.
Customers can use a package that is suitable for their requirements and in accordance with the cost-of-ownership that is accepted by the customer.

These actions are required to enable an ESP to determine the scheduling information for an activity structure:

Create the activity structure.
Optionally, resource requirements can be specified using the activity budget.
Export data to the ESP.
Optionally, assign the resources in the ESP.
View the planning results.
Export the information to an XML and import the data in LN
Setting up a project (activities, budget lines) can be done either in LN and export the result to the ESP or by setting up a project, activities in the ESP with the conditions that at least one export has to be performed to export the LN resources (Cost objects) prior to create resource (budget) lines in the ESP.

Planning can be done in the external scheduling package and the project can be started, executed, tracked and closed in LN. The progress can be monitored using the external scheduling package:

Create the activity structure: Use the Requirements Planning to create a hierarchical activity structure. The building blocks of this structure are activities that you can define as WBS elements (the highest in the hierarchy). The hierarchical levels in the structure are:

work breakdown structure element
control account
planning package
work package

If the All Activity Types check box in the Project Parameters (tppdm0100s000) session is selected, you can use these different types of activities. If the check box is cleared, only the activity type Work Package is applicable.

Create an XML file based on the information in LN. Apart from the activity structure and milestones data, the XML can also include the employees, trade groups, cost objects, budget, and calendar data.

Import data to the ESP: You can now import the activity structure, employee data, trade groups, the calendar, cost objects, existing budget lines, and milestones in the ESP.

Note: The import is initiated from the ESP and does not require any interactive access with LN. The start date, finish date, or both are pre-loaded in the external scheduling package when the structure is transferred. The addition of scheduled dates from the application is only performed the first time the data is transferred. If dates are not specified, the duration can be derived from the existing information on the activities.

In the ESP, each Project activity is converted to a XML file. You can use this code file to create activities in the ESP. Both, the resource assignments and the scheduled dates of sub-activities are included in the activities, and the date related information can be used in the Project.

Assign the resources in ESP: You can build the schedule for each activity, and assign the resources to activities. To assign resources, activities must be linked to a standard cost object or a project-specific cost object as defined in Project Definition.

View the activity budget: At this stage of the process, the activity structure contains budgeting and scheduling information. You can transfer this data back to Project. The application converts the ESP resource-assignments to project budget lines, and the resources are mapped to the project cost objects, employees, and trade groups.